Labor Market Need And A Grant-Funded Pathway Portfolio

Los Angeles County and the broader Southern California region face a sustained and widening shortage of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) counselors. This shortage is a direct constraint on treatment system capacity because counselor staffing determines how quickly people can enter care, how consistently they can be engaged and supported, and whether recovery stability can be sustained over time. The workforce gap is therefore not an abstract labor market concern. It is a treatment access, continuity of care, and recovery outcomes issue, with particular implications for communities most affected by housing instability, justice involvement, and unmet behavioral health needs.

The purpose of this report is twofold. First, it presents labor market and pipeline evidence to clarify the magnitude of current and projected demand for SUD counselors and to explain why workforce supply is not keeping pace. Second, it describes the partnership’s active workforce development portfolio, which includes multiple grant-funded initiatives that address key pipeline bottlenecks such as access to training, financial stability during training, supervised work experience, and placement into employment.

This report is intended for public and philanthropic funders, state and local policymakers, SUD treatment providers and employers, community college and training partners, workforce development organizations, and community-based organizations working to expand treatment access, strengthen reentry supports, and improve recovery outcomes.

Please read the report below to see supporting data, complete findings, recommendations and highlighted best practices.

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